10 Ways Math And Homelessness Relate

Who knew that understanding math could connect to your quest in helping the homeless?

1. Integrating is fun!

study.com / Via nationalhomeless.org

In order to solve the area under a curve, you need to integrate. In order to make steps towards solving homelessness, we also need to integrate. Integrating resources to help is important, but also trying to integrate the homeless population into society is key. It doesn't help if we treat people as inferior. In fact, violent acts against homeless people are on the rise. In 2014, the National Coalition for the Homeless published an in-depth report that shows a 23.8% increase in the overall number of attacks from previous years.

2. Being irrational is not allowed

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Okay people, we're not going to walk around with wads of cash and pass them out to the homeless. Nobody likes irrationality. Instead, maybe a list of nearby soup kitchens or a gift card for a local eatery would be more effective (and rational).

3. Jumping for joy when the limit approaches infinity

giphy.com / Via america.aljazeera.com

There are an infinite number of items you could give out to homeless on the streets. Wrapped food such as sandwiches and warm clothing (gloves, scarves, hats) for those cold nights are suggested. Basic hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, wipes) are helpful as well. Cheryl Mitchell, director of the Bowery Mission Women’s Center in Harlem, advises that “re-establishing a hygiene routine is key to recovering a sense of self.”

4. Defining on the domain

giphy.com / Via latimes.com

What is the domain on which the function is defined? Domain, as we know, is always critical. We can start in the domain of our own neighborhoods. Homelessness can be just a few blocks away, and finding out how homelessness exists in your local domain is a good start. Los Angeles, for instance, remains second to New York as the area with the most homeless residents – over 35,000 in LA city and county alone. Now imagine how many more live under those harsh conditions within just the United States.

5. Finding the prime

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2, 3, 5, 7… It’s prime time! And primetime to volunteer a little bit of time at a soup kitchen, shelter, or any other program designed to provide service and kindness. Setting aside 2 or 3 or 5 hours within your day, week, or month is a huge contribution, and making it a habit is even better.

6. Determining the foci

giphy.com / Via gma.yahoo.com

It may be about time to shift our focus. Homelessness has been a continuous issue, and if the numbers continue to rise, society could face bigger problems in the future. Good news though - there are people who are trying to make a difference. If you need some inspiration, take a look at this man who started building temporary miniature houses for the homeless in California.

7. Accepting the polynomial

jokideo.com / Via homeaid.org

There are multiple factors to consider when thinking about the root causes of homelessness. Monomiality is not a luxury we have here, but we can think about commonality. Most cases of homelessness are caused by tragic life occurrences including natural disasters, loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, family disputes, mental illnesses, PTSD, and physical disabilities, among others. First is understanding these issues to their cores, and next is using that knowledge to help those negatively affected by them.

8. Differentiating

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It may be inherently obvious, but the gender divide exists even within the realm of homelessness. Statistics show that males are more likely to be homeless than females, and a 2011 survey by the housing charity Crisis shows that 84% of the hidden homeless are male. It may be because men are more likely to be veterans, less likely to seek treatment for mental illnesses or substance abuse, or any number of other reasons. But it's something to think about.

9. Calculating a 0 remainder

giphy.com / Via dss.gov.au

That's the goal, right? To reduce homelessness until the point that it's virtually nonexistent. To have the entire population living above the poverty line. Moving past looking at the individual level, we should also take a look at what the governments are doing. Australia is currently setting a good example. Their government aims to halve homelessness by 2020 by introducing new measures such as increasing the current investment in homelessness, increasing support for domestic violence victims, increasing public and community housing, and enacting a policy of 'no exits into homelessness' from hospitals and institutions. Let's take a lesson from the Aussies.

10. Searching for nontrivial solutions

Developed by a handful of students in a writing class at the University of Southern California, USC Spare Change provides an innovative method for helping homelessness. The site is designed to provide information, resources, and lists of local establishments in order to give the Los Angeles community the knowledge and ability to point people in the right direction towards the help they need. This is just one of the many, many ways to begin making a change.